great gray haunches shuddered
rolled to one side and bent a green tree
leg joints locked then loosed sudden
as brush and dust of seasons past
rose with flies and rush of air
dim eyes turned to stone, and light
of day became a thing unseen
into disjointed thuds
leathered flesh to ground resounded
through Savannah and trees, lifted birds to wing
animal ears to perk and alert
as it went-- unheard by great flapless lobes
now covered in dirt and woody debris--
all things that live will die, but
this seemed larger than life
and deeper than surrender to fate
It was as if a mountain
had perished...
2 comments:
This is amazing, PK. I have seen films of elephants' deaths, and they always strike me like this--as monumental tragedies. Is it because they are endangered? Or is it because they are so intelligent? Older than we? I don't know, but it is just like you say. Well said, poet!
Susan-
this will be in parts, and yes these are very special souls...parts of nature that truly teach us something important...thank you so much!...PK
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